The Gift
by ChasingTornadoes
Summary: A  so far  two-parter for the holidays about that pesky Wedding Topper.  Kurt/Dave shenanigans!
1. Chapter 1

The Gift

By Rian

December 8, 2010

Christmas morning was a pleasant blur, much like Thanksgiving had been. Kurt was still getting used to the whole idea that he now had a family, who would be here all the time and expect him to be. He and his father had had so many pleasant holiday mornings, just exchanging a gift or two, having a fancy breakfast full of bad but delicious things. This was usually another gift of Kurt's to his father, letting him splurge foodwise on the holidays. Since the heart scare, things had been even tighter for him, so he and Carole had agreed maybe some turkey bacon this morning, but rice flour waffles and organic fruit. Finn would probably whine for butter, but he'd have to make do.

In fact, it was Finn who introduced Kurt to this Christmas morning by pouncing on Kurt while he still lay, tufted hair deep in his blankets. A year ago, Kurt would have been in hog heaven with Finn jumping on him in his bed. Now, Finn had just interrupted a lovely dream of he and Blaine sharing a snowy snuggled-up sleigh ride somewhere through Vermont.

Ah, Blaine. He'd looked so downcast when Kurt left to come home for the holidays. But then, Kurt had a loving family to go home to. Not that Blaine's wasn't, but then he never really said much about them. They were unnamed players. And besides that, it had seemed like there was something more Blaine wanted to say…he kept clearing his throat and looking skyward and pacing and starting sentences with "Kurt, I…" before launching into random tirades about how they'd stay in touch over the break and what Kurt was going to do with his family and how he'd have to promise to be safe in the cold and without knowing where or when that jock freak might turn up. Finally, Finn had pulled up in his Dad's truck and Kurt had had no choice but to give him a quick hug, (Goddess, had he cherished that hug), wish him well and dash into the flurried night.

As they pulled away, he saw Blaine waving, still standing in the doorway, framed by the golden light, and Kurt saw his lips moving, but who knows what he might have said? Maybe he was singing a Christmas carol. Anyway, so Finn had now interrupted Kurt's dream and he was pissed. He missed Blaine more than he'd even admit to himself. He was trying so hard not to fall too fast, not to mess up their friendship, not to scare Blaine off, not to get himself hurt again. But his dreams were his own, right? And what's so scandalous about a sleigh ride?

"Come on, Dude, PRESENTS!" Kurt had to chuckle as Finn bounded out of the room like a four-year-old. Breaking up with Rachel had agreed with him in some weird way. It was a pity, since she and Kurt had finally sort of become friends and she of course kept texting asking what Finn was doing, how he was feeling. Kurt tried to be sympathetic, but in the end, he told her he'd call her if anything major happened. Fat chance. Leaving his dream had made him a bit self-conscious of his appearance, but a quick mirror glance told him his pajamas were adequate and his hair, well, he'd put on a winter cap with tassels to cover it till he could wash it after breakfast.

The calls were now coming from all three members of his family, (his FAMILY he grinned), upstairs. He shuffled up, smiling coyly, and accepted a cheer from his parents, including a hug from his Dad, and another from Carole. She was such an angel. It was like his Dad came back to life when he met her, and she'd become the Mother Kurt always wanted, and needed. She'd been the first one to stand up and say it wasn't right or fair or acceptable when they'd had to talk to Sue Sylvester about…No, he wasn't going to think about that today. Much as he tried not to admit to caring, his eyes twinkled at the abnormally large pile of presents around their modest tree. THIS kind of Christmas he could get used to. Who needs sheep and mangers and eggnog when there are new clothes and new gadgets?

One big box intrigued him in particular. Especially as it had his name on it. But no "From." Finn chuckled and shoved it toward Kurt forcibly, almost knocking him off his feet. "I was gonna make you wait for that one last, but hell, you saw it already, go for it…" With giggles from his parents behind him, Kurt tore into the gaudy wrapping with gusto. Finn must have picked the paper as it was pink and glittery. "Sigh, he never will get that just because I'm gay doesn't mean I want glitter in my carpet." Amongst the laughter from the other three, Kurt's breath caught. Inside were about a dozen littler boxes, all with tags addressed to him, from his friends in New Directions.

"Oh, my…Oh, gosh…I don't know what to say, Finn, how did you…." "Everyone got together to show you how much they missed you and loved you. We know how hard it's been, so this was our way of showing you…well, that you're still part of us, even though as Rachel keeps reminding us you're the competition." His face darkened a smidge at Rachel's name, but his mother came over to pat him on the back, and seeing Kurt's face erased all unpleasantness. "Thanks, Finn…this is so beyond cool, I can't even…" Damn. He was crying again now. I really am becoming the waterworks king these days, he mused.

"Open them, Kurt!" His father was beaming, seeing how happy his son was, finally, after so much mess had fallen on him. The gifts alternated from the touching, Tina sent him a poem she'd written, to the hilarious, Puck having sent a book called "The Gay MANual," to the bizarre, Brittany sending a new hunting vest. As he worked his way through the little packages, his eyes wandered next to the larger package he was demolishing, and landed on the silver and blue box that Blaine had sent home with Kurt, swearing him to promise to call the second he opened it. No matter what it is, I'm gonna love it, cause anything he gives me I know I'll love because I love…Wow, Kurt thought, that's a lot of that "L" word for someone who's trying to be realistic. Must work on that, he resigned himself silently, as he opened and giggled at Mercedes' present, which was a gift certificate for a day at a Spa for both of them.

In the bottom of the larger box, the last gift was a very small package, wrapped immaculately in a gorgeous almost midnight blue paper and tied with a gauzy ribbon of an even lighter cerulean blue. The tag was nondescript, written in a boxy scribble, with no design and simply said, "To Kurt." Where had Kurt seen that midnight blue color of the wrapping before? He took it out and showed it off before tearing it open. "That's the prettiest little package I've ever seen" Carole exclaimend. "The ribbon even matches your eyes Kurt." Kurt twitched realizing she was right.

"Who's this from Finn? There's no name." Kurt shook it, seeing how light it was. "No idea, man. Just open it, and I'm sure we'll figure it out. The tag probably just fell off." "No, the tag's here. It just says…" He gingerly opened the wrapping and unveiled a small simple white cardboard box. Inside was a mess of white tissue. Parting it, Kurt choked, in shock, confusion, horror…and a hint of tenderness. Inside the tissue was the missing wedding topper that had been taken from him. Beneath it, in the same large-handed scrawl as that on the tag, was a note written on loose leaf. All it said was "I'm sorry." In the last second, Kurt remembered that midnight blue of the wrapping paper…it was the color of Dave Karofsky's eyes. Finn was just able to catch him as Kurt fainted dead away, narrowly missing the edge of the coffee table.


	2. Chapter 2

The Gift, part 2

By Rian

December 8, 2010

Dave got the idea when he overheard Puckerman and the wheelchair kid talking about it in the locker room, thinking that no one was around. All the Glee freaks were giving Kurt gifts for the holidays to say that they missed him and loved him. Well…Dave missed him, and loved…Well, he was going to figure something out.

He still hadn't been able to find out where Kurt had gone. Big shock that no one would tell him after he threatened the guy's life. Such a good one, Dave. Best ever. It was only made worse when Puckerman had called him out on it when he stupidly tried to recruit to fill Kurt's Glee spot after football practice. Azimio had shot him a look before he could wipe or hide his face. Did he know, or even suspect? Thankfully, in true fashion, Azimio had immediately changed the subject back to how loser like the damn Glee club was, and Dave was spared, and able to join in when the whole team pounced on Puck and locked him in the Port-A-John.

But now, Kurt had been gone several weeks, and Dave really had to face what had happened. What he'd done. There was no escape from the stares he got. The cold shoulders. Out right avoidance. His parents were becoming distant with him, especially his father. Dammit, he can't know! No one can know. Dave caught his father staring at him a lot now, contemplating. Watching. Analyzing. So he worked hard to keep up the mask.

But anytime his cronies or his ever-present teachers weren't around to distract him, he remembered. The last time he saw Kurt, who looked terrified, not triumphant, as Dave left the principal's office after having been suspended. The feel of Kurt's lips crushing into his own. His eyes, his damn beautiful eyes. Those eyes were in most of Dave's dreams now. Only now, those dreams were not sexy, or flirty or fun. They were accusatory and nightmarish.

The day he heard the boys talking in the locker room, he rushed home with a vengeance, knowing no one would be home yet. He ran to his room, locked the door and took a small box out from under his bed, near his pillow. Inside this locked box was the wedding topper he'd taken from Kurt on that horrible day. That day Kurt said he didn't want Dave near him…No, don't think about that. Man up! He chided himself and set about to work.

He had a few good hours before his parents would be home, so he snuck down to his Mother's craft room and yanked down from the top of the closet her wrapping tub. She'd seen Martha Stewart suggest keeping all your wrapping needs segregated into little tubs in one big tub and had run with it. The plan was forming in his mind already. It was crazy, but it just might work, if he could time it right. As he moved through the ribbons, he found one that startled him. It was the light blue of Kurt's eyes, staring wide back at him. He snatched it up and grabbed at the papers.

At the bottom of the stack, he found what he was subconsciously looking for. He'd remembered his Mother giving him his birthday gifts last year wrapped in a dark blue paper that she said reminded her of his handsome eyes. What better way to show how he really felt? Kurt's blue eyes in the ribbon, and Dave's in the wrapping. For a brief moment, he worried how creepy that might seem. But hell, what have I got to lose now? He already thinks I'm a serial killer. I've got to do this!

He grabbed up some plain white tissue and dug around in the closet till he found the gift boxes, broken down. It took forever, but he finally found one that was an appropriate size. Giggling, almost happily, for the first time in weeks, he thundered back up the stairs and re-locked himself in his room, scissors and tape in hand. He took meticulous care with the wrapping, he wanted it to be perfect, but just before he sealed it, an impulse struck him. He grabbed at the only thing he had laying around, loose leaf notebook paper, and trembling slightly took up a sharpie, wrote "I'm sorry" and laid it under the topper.

After he finished, he checked over his work for a half hour. It had to be perfect, this was his only chance. He finally decided to be satisfied when he heard his parents come in downstairs. They quietly took note of how much happier Dave seemed that evening, offering to help with the dishes, and to take out the trash, despite the snow starting sometime while he'd been wrapping. He was humming, which he never did and smiling and even went to bed early. He'd been heard pacing long into the night for weeks now. Laying there, alone, he welcomed the dreams, because it would mean he'd get to see Kurt again.

In school the next day, he haunted the corridor around the choir room, waiting for his chance. He'd seen Hudson bring in a big box and correctly guessed that lots of small ones would be going into it. His wouldn't even stick out, it was too perfect. A direct line to Kurt. God, this had to work. But every time he snuck close enough to the door, he'd hear them singing and laughing and have to stalk away and wait some more. He hated to admit it, but they sounded pretty good. Not as good as when Kurt had been there, and though he had never admitted this to anyone, Dave thought himself a decent singer. At least in the car with the radio, and in the shower at home. Or looking in the mirror, where he'd taped up Kurt's yearbook photo. Man, maybe I am too creepy for him! Dave smacked himself, NO don't think like that! Not now!

When he walked by next, just before the end of the period, he saw them getting out the hideous pink wrapping paper. Kurt would hate that, I bet, Dave smirked to himself. But, hell, that means they're gonna seal the box…NO! Without thinking, Dave darted across the hall and pulled the fire alarm. The sirens wailed and students and teachers alike poured out into the halls. The choir room door flew open with shrieking girls and slightly less panicked guys. Puckerman did take time to glare at Dave before grabbing Santana and moving with the flow towards the nearest door outside.

It's now or never, Dave thought. He tore into the choir room and stared down into the big box. A dozen small Christmas gifts stared up at him in their gay wrappings. Haha, gay wrappings. Not the time, Dave! He threw down his bag and gently removed the gift from its bubble wrap casing. He'd been super paranoid it would break. He ripped off the clear wrap, and taking a quick glance around to make sure the chaos outside hadn't slowed anyone to catch him, he dug down and buried his gift in the bottom. He snatched up his backpack and ran out to join the throngs of people, just as Principal Figgins came on the PA announcing that this was not a fire drill, and to get back to class and that whoever pulled the alarm would be caught and punished.

Dave had just gotten to the doors and seen the snow falling. He laughed out loud as people pushed by him to get out of the elements. He'd been the one pushing Kurt around, and now here the whole school didn't care to all but trample him getting inside. Maybe things were indeed changing. Watching the storm, he felt a strange warmth creeping up on him. He brushed some snow off his letterman jacket and said quietly to no one…"Please let him remember those blue colors, like a real gay guy. Please let him understand. Let him know I'm sorry…Let him know I don't hate him…I…miss him."

He wasn't exactly praying. He had long since given up believing in any of that. But something about the storm, the gifts, the damn Christmas season. He had hope. He knew Kurt would probably and justifiably freak when he got to that box. But maybe, he'd read the note and think just a tiny bit better about me, Dave thought. Sighing as he turned to go back in, he knew he had a scary, unknown road ahead of him. But this was a good first step to redemption.


End file.
